In the declaration drafted by Germany and presented at the UN General Assembly in New York on October 6, 39 predominantly Western countries denounced China for gross human rights violations in Xinjiang and the Tibet Autonomous Region and for limiting political and personal freedoms in Hong Kong. China's Ambassador to the UN, Zhang Jun, responded with an angry statement saying the accusations were "groundless" and that his country "opposes interference in internal affairs." In the end, 39 countries signed on to the declaration, 16 more than last year, with Bosnia and Herzegovina joining literally at the last minute. This was the result of weeks of lobbying by diplomats from Germany, the UK and the US, who clandestinely spoke to other UN states asking for their support. The list remained classified until minutes before Germany's UN ambassador Heusgen read the statement in New York, for fear signatories might be poached by China at the last moment.
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